PROBLEM
Data sources with coordinate system datums of NAD 83 Harn or NAD 27 do not align in the map.
ArcMap has the ability to project data on the fly. This means that data of different projections will align as long as they are defined correctly. In the case of data with datums that differ from the coordinate system of the data frame, a transformation must be applied to the data.
When projecting data from NAD 27 to NAD 83 Harn it takes a two step transformation to accomplish this. First the data needs to be transformed from NAD 27 to NAD 83 then it needs to be transformed from NAD 83 to NAD 83 Harn.
While the project tool can handle a 2 step transformation the data frame cannot. As a result it is not possible to specify both datum transformations necessary to align the data in the map.
Article ID:000008764
Get help from ArcGIS experts
Download the Esri Support App